


Shatter

by manashrine



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Friendship, Horror, Mikasa Ackerman x Reader, Mikasa x Reader, MikasaxReader, Reader-Insert, Romance, Violence, coarse language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 13:41:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4021972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manashrine/pseuds/manashrine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like the cold blades you carry into battle, you will shatter, only to be reforged again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shatter

The ground you walked on shook violently and blood began pouring from the sky as another helpless citizen got hoisted into the air by a giant, disproportionate hand. The sound of crunching bones which ensued after that assailed your eardrums. You dropped the firewood you had collected some time ago, and sprinted away from the scene with as much speed as your tiny legs granted you.

_This isn’t happening…_

As they advanced through the city, titans decimated everything in their path, leaving nothing but rubble and carnage behind. The streets of your beloved hometown, Shiganshina, were now painted in sanguine, defiled by harrowing screams and mutilated corpses of people once you knew; neighbors, shopkeepers, town guard. By merely casting a glance at their remains, you felt bile crawling up your throat.

_This CAN’T be happening…_

Swallowing back the substance, you took a sharp turn, only to stumble upon a more an even more shocking sight. A little farther down the road, a fifteen-meter beast, whose eyes gleamed with pure bloodlust, shambled away from the wreckage of what used to be your house. Beholding it caused your breaths to become uneven. Fortunately, though, the creature proved to be oblivious to your presence, as it proceeded in its languid hunt. And yet, shivers went down your spine the moment you saw this titan lick its lips.

_No…_

Praying that your assumption was incorrect, you scurried towards the ruins. Upon entering, you scanned the area quickly, hopelessly, though found no trace of your parents, or your little sister. But then, under one of the wooden pillars, you spotted a stuffed doll that you could recognize anywhere lying in a puddle of blood. It was then that a cold, numbing feeling enveloped you whole for the first time in your once-peaceful life, compelling you to reach out for the toy while tears started dampening your cheeks.

It was then that your sobs got eclipsed by a nearby titan roar…

\---

”Who the hell are you?!”

The vociferous voice of instructor Keith Shadis reverberated through your bones as he towered above you, sheer rage carved into his countenance. The way his sunken, amber eyes scrutinized you from head to toe evoked a faint tremor within your hands. To your dismay, he noticed this, and so his scowl became more menacing than before.

Drawing a sharp breath, yet still maintaining your firm stance in tact, you immediately curled your right hand into a fist then rammed into your chest where your heart was located; performing a salute you had been trained to do.

”[First] [Last]! From Shiganshina, Sir!” you hollered, though with only a fraction of force Shadis possessed.

Right after your response, you could see a couple other trainees staring at you out of your peripheral view. No doubt they were intrigued, for unlike most of them, you were there that day – you had been acquainted with horror and utter cruelty of this world. Although you didn’t mind being the center of attention, you couldn’t help but feel slightly unnerved by a certain icy gaze – one that belonged to a seemingly imperturbable dark-haired girl, who stood in a row before you. However, her interest in you withered quickly.

”Why are you here?” Shadis continued the interrogation.

”To devote myself to humanity, and protect as many lives as I possibly can, Sir!” you answered, daring not to look away from his eyes.

”I see…” The intimidating man said in a gruff tone, glancing down just a little, as if examining whether your salute was tolerable or not.

Then, after noticing an anomaly on your jacket, he spoke once more. “What’s that you’re hiding in your uniform?”

”Uh…well...”

You fell silent, not knowing how to explain that you had brought a relic with you. A relic which conveyed both treasurable memories and guilt that constantly replayed in your head. In truth, you wished not to inform anyone of its existence. Yet, you had no choice but to reveal it, for Shadis’ glare was now at its full potency. His hands suddenly grabbed you by the collar, and separated you from the ground, making you gulp heavily.

”Answer me, you damn piece of shit! If you came here just to steal food and lie in my face, I’ll personally haul your sorry ass back to the fields!” His howl erupted boisterously, conjuring a foul ringing noise in your ears, as well as making a few nearby recruits wince.

”N-no, Sir! I didn’t steal anything…look…” Your voice trembled, hand reaching for the internal pocket of your uniform, only to emerge again-“

”A doll?! How fucking pathetic!”

Those words were filled to the brim with venom, and they left you mortified. The object you held in your hand represented so much more than a mere doll. And so, after taking a deep breath, you unveiled its meaning in front of everybody. To your surprise, though, your explanation shocked even that stoic raven-haired girl from the front row.

”With all due respect, Sir, this doll serves as a reminder that I have once failed as a protector….but I will not fail again, I assure you.”


End file.
